Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

 (NRW), Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area

Ruhr Area

The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...

. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway. Hamm railway station

Hamm (Westfalen) railway station

Hamm is a railway station situated in the city of Hamm in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia....

 is an important hub for rail transport and renowned for its distinctive station building.
The coat of arms has been in use in its present form for about 750 years.